Donor Profile
HR Scholarship Helps Students Realize Dreams
James “Jim” Nimnicht’s distinguished career at Central began nearly 33 years ago. He is regarded as the architect of the human resource management (HRM) program and the driving force behind the award-winning, nationally recognized student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Though he retired in 2011, Nimnicht’s influence remains today. Human resource management is one of the fastest-growing fields in business, and CWU’s program continues to be one of the best in the nation. And to ensure Nimnicht’s passion for students endures, he and his wife Kerry created the James Nimnicht Endowed Scholarship in HRM. Seeding the endeavor with a matching gift, faculty, friends, and former students generously answered the call for support to officially create the program’s first endowment. It will provide an annual scholarship in perpetuity beginning fall 2021. “When the idea for a scholarship in human resource management was first presented,” said Nimnicht, “I couldn’t think of a better way to help students realize their dream of graduating and then working in the field to ensure that both organizations and employees could come together and make the workplace a desirable and productive location.” The inspiration for the scholarship dates to 1988 when Nimnicht started teaching at Central. With only two human resource management courses offered at the time, Nimnicht built the program he envisioned. With the help of faculty and staff, CB added classes in labor and collective bargaining, training and development, organizational staffing, compensation, strategic human resources, and organizational behavior. During Nimnicht’s tenure, the program was ranked in the top 10 in the United States by SHRM.
“I can honestly say that I had the most rewarding career that I could have ever imagined and working with my students is what made it that way,” Nimnicht said. “It was such a blessing to see students declare their desire to study human resource management and then watch as a light bulb came on and they found themselves intrigued and energized by this wonderful career.” Nimnicht earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Washington, his master’s degree at Eastern Washington University, and his doctorate at the University of Nebraska. He worked at Gonzaga University and at EWU before joining CWU. As a CB faculty member Nimnicht was published in several professional journals. He also co-founded the national Institute of Behavioral and Applied Management and served as advisor to the CWU student chapter of SHRM.
“I couldn’t think of a better way to help students realize their dream.” JAMES NIMNICHT
He was named Outstanding Professor and Distinguished Teaching Professor, and received the Excellence in Teaching award from the CWU Parents Association. He was also named Washington State Professor of the Year by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Most notably, he is the only two-time winner of the SHRM Foundation National Faculty
Advisor of the Year award. The College of Business is excited to grant the inaugural James Nimnicht Endowed Scholarship fall quarter 2021. Students need a 3.0 minimum grade point average with preference given to members of the CWU chapter of SHRM.
Kerry and James Nimnicht
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